Clutch actuated zig-zag folder for web materials



Oct; 20, 1970 c L o -3,534,952

CLUTCH ACTUATED ZIG-ZAG FOLDER FOR WEB MATERIALS Filed Oct. 29, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet l 20 I I5 W5 22 ,4

:5 ffffiig FIGZ INVENTOR FRANK CATALLO ATTORNEY Oct. 20, 1970 CLUTCH ACTUATED ZIG-ZAG FOLDER FOR WEB MATERIALS Filed 001;. 29, 1968 F. CYATALLO -3,534,952

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 TO ATMOSPHERE TO ATMOSPHERE TO CLUTCH I3 gg REGULATOR V INVENTOR T0 CLUTCH 0 FRANK CATALLO 37 3 8 AIR SUPPLY Y 7 4 /MW ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,534,952 CLUTCH ACTUATED ZIG-ZAG FOLDER FOR WEB MATERIALS Frank Catallo, Elmont, N.Y., assignor to Fab-Con Machinery Development Corporation, Paterson, N.J.,

a corporation of New Jersey Filed Oct. 29, 1968, Ser. No. 771,474 Int. Cl. 1865b 45/107 U.S. Cl. 270-79 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention is directed to a folder for a continuously advancing fabric web and includes an upper draw roll for the web and a lower reciprocating traversing roll assembly through which the web is passed. Reciprocation of the traversing roll assembly is effected by two clutchcontrolled, alternately operable, sprocket and chain drives that receive their power from the shaft upon which the draw roll is mounted. Clutch control devices are actuated by passage of the traversing roll assembly.

THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to new and useful improvements in apparatus for folding webs and particularly seeks to provide a novel machine for the high speed folding of a travelling web of a textile material.

Many of the prior types of folders for this purpose employ a guide roll mounted on an oscillating frame, while others employ a spaced pair of guide rolls that are reciprocated through a pivotal connection to an endless chain. With either of these types of folders it is virtually impossible to achieve high speed folding without frequent mechanical failure because direction of the guide rolls is changed by the positive driving connections and there is no way of cushioning the shock loading at the beginning and end of each stroke or oscillation. Furthermore, with the prior types of reciprocating guide roll folders, it is impossible to vary the length of stroke other than by installing new chains of greater or lesser length. Thus, these earlier types of folders also lack the feature of easy and quick adjustability.

However, a fabric folder constructed in accordance with this invention overcomes the deficiencies of the prior types of folders and consequently is a substantial improvement thereover.

Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide a fan-fold type of fabric folder that is capable of high speed operation over prolonged periods of time without mechanical malfunction.

Another object of this invention is to provide a folder of the character stated that includes a pair of reciprocating guide rolls driven in such a manner that the shock loads imposed at the beginning and end of each stroke are well cushioned.

Another object of this invention is to provide a folder of the character stated in which the stroke length of the reciprocating guide rolls may be readily adjusted without the necessity of part replacement.

Another object of this invention is to provide a folder of the character stated that includes two pneumatic clutchcontrolled, alternately operable, sprocket chain drives for effecting reciprocation of the guide rolls.

A further object of this invention is to provide a folder of the character stated that includes a friction clutchdriven draw roll to feed the fabric to the guide rolls whereby to automatically slow down or drag whenever any increase in tension should occur in the fabric being drawn thereover.

With these and other objects, the nature of which will ice be apparent, the invention will be more fully understood by reference to the drawings, the accompanying detailed description and the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical transverse section of a fabric folder constructed in accordance with this invention, but with the traversing rolls not shown in the interest of clarity of illustration;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1 and shows the chain drive for one direction of the traversing rolls;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1 and shows the chain drive for the opposite direction of the traversing rolls;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the traversing rolls taken along line 44 of FIG. 3 and shows the gear connections therebetween and the sheave and straight friction belt means for driving them;

FIG. 5 is an end elevation view of certain of the elements shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of the elements shown in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 7 is a schematic piping diagram.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the invention, as illustrated, is embodied in a fabric folder that includes a pair of spaced, parallel, side frames 5, 5, each of which is provided at its upper end with a depending pillow block 6 which rotatably supports a transverse shaft 7 which is provided at one end with a driving sprocket 8.

A fabric draw roll 9 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 7 and is adapted to be driven therefrom through a pneumatic pilot mount clutch 10. The shaft 7 also carries a pair of freely rotatable sprockets 11 and 12 that are adapted to be alternately driven therefrom by pneumatic pilot mount clutches 13 and 14, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

A pair of spaced, parallel, cross shafts 15, 15 are journalled in the side frames 5 adjacent the bottom thereof and are symmetrically disposed to the front and rear with respect to the transverse shaft 7. A sprocket 16 is atfixed to one end of each shaft 15 and an identical sprocket 17 is affixed to the other end thereof. As shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings, a sprocket chain 18 passes under the sprocket 11, over a pair of laterally spaced idler sprockets 19, 19 and thence around the sprockets 16, and has its two ends attached to one end of a traversing roll assembly generally indicated at 20 to move that assembly from right to left when the clutch 13 is engaged. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 3, a sprocket chain 21 passes over the sprocket 12, around the sprockets 17 and has its two ends attached to the other end of the traversing roll assembly 20 to move that assembly from left to right when the clutch 14 is engaged.

By reference to FIGS. 46 of the drawings, it will be seen that the traversing roll assembly 20 includes a pair of spaced, parallel, traversing rolls 22, 22 having their ends journalled in roll carriages 23 provided with oppositely extending studs 24, 24 for connection with the ends of the respective sprocket chains 18 and 21. A pair of meshed pinion gears 25, 25 are afiixed to the rolls 22 at one end thereof to constantly drive the rolls 22 in opposite directions, as indicated by the arrows in FIGS. 2 and 3, as the roll assembly 20 is being traversed in either direction. The rolls 22 are driven by either one or the other (depending on the direction of movement) of two overriding clutch-fitted sheaves 26, 26 mounted thereon and which frictionally engage a straight section of a V-belt 27 affixed to a rail 28 carried by the main frame. A flange 29 is secured to the main frame and extends over the top of each roll carriage 23 as a hold down.

One of the roll carriages 23 is provided with an upwardly extending plate cam 30 that is adapted to engage and depress the actuating element 31 of a normally closed exhaust valve 32, that is operatively connected to the clutch 13, as the roll assembly 20 approaches the end of its traverse in one direction; or to engage and depress the actuating element 33 of a normally closed exhaust valve 34-, and this operatively connected to the clutch 14, as the roll assembly 20 approaches the end of its traverse in the opposite direction. The exhaust valves 32 and 34 are releasably mounted on a sutiable frame member so that they may be adjusted in either direction in order to quickly change either the overall position of traverse or the length of stroke thereof for longer or shorter folds.

The air piping is schematically shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings from which it will be seen that air is supplied to a two-valve manifold 35 from which an air line 36 is connected through a regulator to the clutch 10 of the draw roll 9. Another regulated air line 37 is connected to one end of a ported reversing valve 38 from which air lines 39 and 40 are respectively connected to the clutches 13 and 14 and air lines 41 and 42 are respectively connected to the exhaust valves 32 and 34 which vent into the atmosphere.

In operation, the sprocket 8 may be connected to an independent drive or to driving elements of an associated processing unit from which the fabric web to be folded is being discharged. In either case, the rotative speed of the shaft 7 should be such that the peripheral speed of the draw roll 9 is slightly greater (about 10%) than the lineal speed of the fabric web.

The fabric web is threaded over the draw roll 9 and down between the traversing rolls 22, 22 and thence into a receptacle. At start up, the clutch 10 is engaged and adjusted to drive the draw roll 9 to produce the desired web tension and either the clutch 13 or the clutch 14 is engaged, depending on which of the exhaust valves 32 and 34 was last opened. Assuming that the reversing valve 38 is connected to the clutch 13, the clutch 14 will be disengaged, the valve 32 will be closed and the clutch 13 engaged to drive the sprocket 11 and traverse the roll assembly 20 from right to left as viewed in FIG. 2. When the cam 30 on the roller carriage 23 depresses the element 31 of the valve 32 at the end of that traverse stroke, that valve opens to disengage the clutch 13 and to permit the valve 38 to reverse, thus connecting it to the clutch 14 which becomes engaged to drive the sprocket 12 and traverse the roll assembly 20 in the opposite direction until the cam 30 depresses the element 33 of the valve 34 to again reverse the direction of traverse.

Since the clutches 13 and 14 are pneumatically operated friction clutches that can be adjusted by regulating air pressure, smooth starts and stops are made at the ends of the traverse strokes. Furthermore, since the clutch 10 is of that same type, the desired tension on the fabric web can be obtained and maintained by regulating the air pressure to cause a drag and consequent slight slowing i of the draw roll 9.

It is of course to be understood that variations in arrangements and proportions of parts may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a folder for a continuously advancing fabric web, a pair of spaced side frames, an upper transverse shaft rotatably journalled in said side frames, means for rotating said transverse shaft, a draw roll mounted on said transverse shaft, a reciprocable traversing roll assembly supported by said side frames beneath said draw roll and parallel thereto, a first clutch-controlled sprocket and chain drive extending between said transverse shaft and said traversing roll assembly for traversing the same in one direction, a second clutch-controlled sprocket and chain drive extending between said transverse shaft and said traversing roll assembly for traversing the same in the opposite direction, and means for causing said clutchcontrolled drives to operate alternately whereby to reciprocate said traversing roll assembly.

2. The folder of claim 1 in which each of said clutchcontrolled drives includes a driving sprocket rotatably mounted on said transverse shaft and a clutch mounted on said transverse shaft for operably connecting said shaft to said driving sprocket.

3. The folder of claim 2 in which the clutches of said sprocket and chain drives are pneumatically operated and which additionally includes means actuated by passage of said traversing roll assembly for controlling the operation of said clutches.

4. The folder of claim 3 in which said draw roll is rotatably mounted on said transverse shaft and which ad ditionally includes a clutch mounted on said transverse shaft for operably connecting said shaft to said draw roll, and means for operating said clutch.

5. The folder of claim 2 in which said traversing roll assembly includes a pair of spaced parallel traversing rolls, an overrunning clutch-fitted sheave mounted on each of said traversing rolls, a fixed linear friction driving element secured to said frames and engaged by the grooves of said sheaves for rotating one or the other of said traversing rolls depending on the direction of traverse, and a pair of meshed pinion gears connecting said traversing rolls for causing the same to rotate in opposite directions regardless of the direction of traverse, each of said gears alternating as the driving and driven gear depending upon which of said sheaves is the driving sheave during a traverse of said roll assembly.

6. The folder of claim 4 additionally including a twovalve manifold for receiving and distributing a supply of air, a four-ported reversing valve, and two normally closed exhaust valves, one of the valves of said manifold being connected to said draw roll clutch for operation thereof, the other of the valves of said manifold being connected to said reversing valve, two ports of said reversing valve being connected respectively to one of said sprocket clutches and to one of said exhaust valves, the other ports of said reversing valve being connected respectively to the other of said sprocket clutches and to the other of said exhaust valves.

7. The folder of claim 5 additionally including a twovalve manifold for receiving and distributing a supply of air, a four-ported reversing valve, and two normally closed exhaust valves, one of the valves of said manifold being connected to said draw roll clutch for operation thereof, the other of the valves of said manifold being con nected to said reversing valve, two ports of said reversing valve being connected respectively to one of said sprocket clutches and to one of said exhaust valves, the other two ports of said reversing valve being connected respectively to the other of said sprocket clutches and to the other of said exhaust valves.

8. The folder of claim 6 in which said exhaust valves are positioned in proximity to the path of travel of said traversing roll assembly and include outwardly extending actuating elements, and in which said traversing roll assembly includes a cam for operating said actuating elements as said roll assembly passes same.

9. The folder of claim 8 in which at least one of said exhaust valves is adjustable along the path of travel of said traversing roll assembly whereby to vary the length of traverse thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1956 Cohn et al. 27079 8/1964 Caurich 27031 US. Cl. X.R. 27030 

